Green-eyed

It was Floss—Floss, smaller, queerer, greener-eyed, and more defiant than ever; but internally, nevertheless, in a state of intense excitement and delight at the thought of seeing Aunty ’Genia again, hearing more dolls’ stories, possibly—who could say?—seeing those venerable ladies themselves.

“Sixteen years old I was,” laughed Hannah, “and greener-eyed and more freckled-faced than you’ve ever seen me, pettie.”

Catch me in a trap set with old dried-up cheese rind, if you can, or any other trap, for that matter. It is only very young and very conceited people who get caught in them. But the horrid cat! The worst-looking, greenest-eyed monster that ever was in league with a mouse trap!

“Tea?” asked a honeyed masculine voice near her left ear. / “Or sherry?” inquired an identical voice from her right. / Quick as a pair of foxes, the twins took up flanking positions on the sofa, pinning her neatly in between. Glancing from one to the other, she laughed. “At the moment, I’m not sure.” / The greener-eyed one—Leo, she believed—sent her a dashing smile. “Not to worry, there are plenty of hours left in the evening.”

[S]he looked sandier-haired and greener-eyed than ever. […] She was looking at him stealthily, with her great green eyes flashing. […] Later, as he lay in bed, a foot or two from the sea-green eyes, now closed, and the sandy hair, now done up under a nightcap, he thought about the other part of his scheme.

‘We’re not Angels. Angels are far more powerfully magical, far greener-eyed—’

There is a startling vision of invasion in the air, which gives a certain piquancy to the narrative, especially as on the surface of the people’s seriousness of anticipation, if it cannot be called fear, there floats a sort of laughing incredulity—as if they did not believe that Napoleon would come, or be able to come, or that, if he did come, it would matter so much as the greener-eyed tremblers imagined.

That is the way these jealous husbands bid an affectionate adieu to the partner of their sorrows, not of their joys, and go to the city to be devoured with curiosity as to what their wives are doing in their absence, and to come back greener-eyed than ever.